Dr. Konrad A. Czynski HUM 215 RENAISSANCE-MODERN WORLD Fall 2006
Classes: M&W&F: 9:00-10:10 (Lommen 97) and 1:30-2:40 (CB111)
Office: Bridges 359D (PHILOSOPHY Dept.) Tel: 477-4666 e-mail: czynski @mnstate.edu
Office Hours: M&W&F: 11:00-12:30 & M&F: 3:00-4:00 & T&Th 11:30-1:30 & by app't
WebPage: web.mnstate.edu/czynski
Course Description (The BULLETIN): Liberal Studies D1 (Western Tradition: Humanities & Fine Arts) - 4 credits. A cultural history of the West, presented chronologically from the 1400s, examining the principal contributions of influential figures in Literature, political theory, the Arts, etc., with pertinent reference to non-Western cultural achievements.
Required Book (TXT): Gloria Fiero, THE HUMANISTIC TRADITION Vol. II - The Early Modern World to the Present (2006 - 5th edition)
Course Objectives & Student Learning Outcomes: This course offers us all the opportunity to undertake an intellectual journey across the centuries - from the Late Renaissance/Reformation (1400s ...) into our Contemporary World of the 21st century - in order to deepen our knowledge, and thus appreciation, of many important achievements in the Arts and Literature of our Western heritage as well as of certain non-Western cultures. Our imaginary travels through the past 500 years in the history of human civilization, tho' mainly emphasizing the Western cultural legacy, will encourage us all to examine/contemplate masterpieces of creativity. These expressions of the spirit of ingenuity can still speak to us in meaningful ways if we open our minds and try to envision the Past mirrored in our Present. For, after all, human glory and grandeur as well as evil and tragedy are not unknown to us, even if they take different forms. And so, to engage in this, I'll do my best as your guide, and you'll do your best to travel, via your informed imaginations, three times a week in our Gloria Fiero-designed Time Machine - a task requiring your readerly diligence and commitment to our course. And you will be your own best tutor as you take advantage of our publisher's Online Learning Center @ www.mhhe.com/fierotht5.com. (See page xviii of the Preface.) And we will all benefit from the occasional "guest presenter" thanks to a variety of video/DVD supplements. And so, in our Lecture/Discussion class-format, we will examine humanistic issues mainly reflected in "high cultural" (that is, literary and artistic) developments in their socio-historical contexts from the Renaissance into Modernity. Thus, students will gain, or enhance, their 1) Knowledge in the Humanities: historical, literary, and artistic, as well as geographical and political, knowledge attained and approached through a variety of media - the printed-word, art-reproductions, films (documentaries, Hollywood movies, ...); 2) Appreciation of the Arts: as a survey-course, recognized major art-works - painting, sculpture, architecture - will be examined a) as mirrors of their socio-historical matrix, including such value-systems as Religion, and b) as expressions of the vast range and depth of human creativity; 3) Writing Skills in Expressing Ideas: through our seminar-like class-discussion & lecture, students will engage in a) literary analysis, b) critical reflection on the Arts and other significant high cultural accomplishments. These will be examined through a wide range of genres (fiction, drama, ...), & these will, selectively, be the subjects of essay-style assignments and exam-parts.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Mindful Reading-preparation of the assigned pages as in the Syllabus. Contributory participation through class-discussion is encouraged, indeed expected. And ALWAYS bring your book to class.
- Faithful Attendance: Absence is excused ONLY for a good (= justified) reason, such as illness, being out-of-town, serious family matters, or a critical circumstance beyond your control. Please contact me either beforehand or when you return - send me an e-mail or a phone-message - so as to avoid an UNexcused absence. Thus, any valid absence is always excusable, but only with an honest, if brief, acknowledgement. Otherwise, 3 or more UNexcused absences will lead to a lowering of the final letter-grade either in part (say, from B+ to B or even to B-) or in whole (from a B to a C), depending upon the number of absences. So, just come regularly to class, be a diligent reader and committed class-participant. And if ever absent, a simple, straightforward acknowledgement will suffice. Honesty is the only policy.
- 1 MIDTERM Exam @ (at least) 50 points, covering WEEKS II-VIII & 1 FINAL Exam @ (at least) 50 points, covering WEEKS IX-XVI.
- In both exams, the questions will focus on significant historical figures and their accomplishments, emphasizing writers and artists: poets, painters, sculptors, composers, ... . And both exams will only be given on the dates indicated in the Syllabus below. Several days prior to the exams I will present, and put on my WebPage, selected items for review, with text-pages indicated. Thus, the exam-questions will derive ONLY from what I choose from everything that we will have studied. And for both exams, we will a Retrospective session for review-purposes. Both exams will have a similar format composed of PARTS, such as Paragraph-Answers, Identifications, Quotations, Matching Column, and a typed take-home Essay-Question. Each Part - except the MC - will have choices. The scope of the exams will be circumscribed by the specified pages-for-review. Needless to say, attentive reading in preparation for every class will guarantee your grade-success and, more importantly, your intellectual advancement and personal gratification.
- 1 Response-Essay - typed, 4-5 pages @ 15 points. These will be done alphabetically, with a certain number handed-in per week on Mondays (staggered throughout the semester - schedule to be determined) beginning with WEEK IV. As for the topics, the subject you choose to write about should be (at least) 2 art-works (not Literature, nor Music) - that is, paintings &/or sculptures &/or architectural monuments/structures. So, HOW will you write about them? As a Response-Essay, compose your thoughts logically into paragraphs using, as jumping of points, such questions as you will find later on on my WebPage under essay guidelines. And always name the work's creator, if not unknown (= Anonymous), identify the historical period, and explain the art-work's intended meaning as well as its symbolism, if any.
- Thus, a total points-potential of (at least) 115 points, with the final letter-grade based upon the # of points attained out of the 115 points and proportioned on the basis of 100 points using + and - signs. So, for example, B+ = 89-87 & B = 86-83 & B- = 82-80. I will use decimals, then round it all out at the end of the semester. No curving of grades.
- Academic Honesty: I trust that your handed-in writing will indeed be your own - that is, your ideas and your expression of those ideas should be based upon your reading-experience and reflective understanding. Your typed Response-Essay may, of course, benefit, and appropriately quote from consulted sources (books, journal/newspaper articles, museum WebPages, ...), but explicit acknowledgement of any source/s must be made in Notes or Parentheses. Needless to say, plagiarized writing, brief or lengthy, is forbidden because dishonest. Quote or make a reference, but don't pass off as yours what was written by someone else. A failing grade will be the consequence if such there be.
- DISABILITY ACCESS STATEMENT: Students with disabilities should contact Mr. Greg Toutges, Coordinator of Disability Services (CMU 114 - 477-5859 [voice] or 1-800-627-3529 [MRS/TTY]), to make timely arrangements for exam-taking suitable to their needs. Naturally, speak to me also for any accommodation (sign-interpreter & note-taker)that I most willingly would implement.
SYLLABUS - SCHEDULE OF READING-ASSIGNMENTS:
| WEEK I | ||
| F 8/25 | INTRODUCTION TO COURSE | |
| WEEK II | M 8/28: | TXT: pages 500a-501b: on the Renaissance & Reformation + pages 467a-481a: Ch. 19 - Temper of Reform...Humanism...M. Luther...No. Renaissance Art: AD & MG & HB & PB |
| W 8/30: | TXT: 481b-498b: Erasmus & Th. More & MdeC & MdeM & WmSh - Hamlet | |
| F 9/1 | TXT: 503a-517b: Age of the Baroque (503) - Ch. 20 -Catholic Reformation...I. Loyola...St. T. of Avila...Visual Arts...M'gelo & Tin'to & ElG & Cara'gio & AG & GB (sculptor) | |
| WEEK III | M 9/4 | Holiday - Labor Day |
| W 9/6 | TXT: 518a-534a: Architecture - GB...A. Pozzo...Music... + Ch. 21 - Absolutism in France...Louis Xiv & Versailles | |
| F 9/8 | TXT: 535b-547a: Arts in France & in Europe...Moliere's comic play | |
| WEEK IV
|
M 9/11 |
TXT: 547a-561b: Absolutism elsewhere - India...China...Japan |
| W 9/13 |
TXT: 562a-576b: Ch. 22 - Protestant Baroque in No. Europe - the Bible...JD...ChW (architect)...JM...Rembrandt...Handel...Bach | |
| F 9/15 | TXT: 577a-top589b: Ch. 23 - Scientific Advances - JK & GG...FB...RD...JL...I. Newton...Dutch painters | |
| WEEK V | M 9/18 | TXT: 589b-603a: J. Vermeer & other painters...Music + Age of Enlightenment (597) - Ch. 24 - Promise of Reason - Th. Hobbes & J. Locke |
| W 9/20 | TXT: 603a-615b: Influence of J. Locke...Th. J...AS...Les Philosophes..."Crusade for Progress" - Condorcet...Mary W...Alex. Pope | |
| F 9/22 | TXT: 616a-632b: Ch. 25 - Limits of Reason - Slave Trade...J. Swift...Voltaire & Candide | |
| WEEK VI | M 9/25 | TXT: 633a-647a: Chinese Lit...Wm. H...J-JR...Revolutions... + Ch. 26 - 18th-c. Arts - Rococo style... |
| W 9/27 | TXT: 647b-659b: Painting...Neoclassicism...Architecture...Neocl'cal America...J-LD & J-A-DI | |
| F 9/29 | TXT: 660a-671b: Neoclassicism - Painting & Architecture...Music - WAM & LvB & on "The Romantic Era" | |
| WEEK VII | M 10/2 | TXT: 673a-685: Ch. 27 - Romantic View of Nature - Poetry & Landscape Painting: JC & JMWT... |
| W 10/4 | TXT: 686a-695a: American Romanticism: HDT & WW...Landscape Painters...GC's portraiture *** For the MIDTERM Exam - presentation of review-items with specified pages from TXT | |
| F 10/6 | TXT: 695b-top707a: 19th c. Thought - Ch. D + Ch. 28 - The Romantic Hero - Napoleon...Mary S's F'stein & poets ... | |
| WEEK VIII | M 10/9 | TXT: mid707a-719b: Abolitionists - Fr. D & ST (IB)...JWvG & his play Faust...Love & George Sand (AA-LD) |
| W 10/11 | RETROSPECTIVE of WEEKS II-VIII for review-purposes + comments on exam-format | |
| F 10/13 | MIDTERM EXAM @ pts. - PARTS I-IV in class. PART V = typed Essay-question due WED 10/18. | |
| WEEK IX | M 10/16 | No Class - Fall Breather |
| W 10/18 | TXT: 720-top732a: Ch. 29 - Romanticism in Art & Music - paintings...sculptures...architecture...music: LvB *** Midterm exam-essay due in class | |
| F 10/20 | TXT: mid732a-748a: Art songs...F. Chopin...Ballet & Opera + Realism and the Modernist Turn (741) - Ch. 30 - Imperialist Dominion...Socio-econ Realities in Europe | |
| WEEK X | M 10/23 | TXT: mid748a-top760b: Social Theory - KM-FE's C'ist Manifesto...JSM...Realism in Literature - ChD & MT (SC) & FD & LT & GF & KC |
| W 10/25 | TXT: mid760b-top772a: HI's play...Visual Arts: photography...painting: Courbet & HD & E. Manet | |
| F 10/27 | TXT: 772a-top783a: American Realist painters - ThE & HOT & WH...Architecture...Music... + Ch. 31 - Toward Modernism - FN...Symbolist poetry & music | |
| WEEK XI | M 10/30 | TXT: 783a-794: Painting - Symbolism & Impressionism: ClM & P-AR & CP & ED...Japanese prints...MC & HdeT-L...Art Nouveau |
| W 11/1 | TXT: bottom794-807b: Sculpture - E. Degas & A. Rodin...Arts in Africa & Oceania...Postimpressionism: VvG & PG & GS & PC | |
| F 11/3 | TXT: 810-top824a: Triumph of Modernism (811) + Ch. 32 - Modernism in Science & Poetry & Art: Pablo Picasso & Georges Braque...Futurism...H. Matisse...Motion Pictures | |
| WEEK XII | M 11/6 | TXT: 824a-835b: Abstract Arts - sculpture & painting...Architecture - FLW...Music & Dance |
| W 11/8 | TXT: 836a-848: Ch. 33 - Freudian Revolution - S. Freud's ideas and influence in Lit: MP & FK & JJ & Poetry...Psychology & Painting - Marc Chagall | |
| F 11/10 | TXT: 849a-858b: Art Movements - Dada and Surrealism: artists from MD to GO'K...Photography & Film...Music | |
| WEEK XIII | M 11/13 | TXT: 859a-871b: Ch. 34 - Total War, Totalitarianism & the Arts: WWI...Russian Revolution...Great Depression in America...WWII... |
| W 11/15 | TXT: 872-884a: Film...EW's Night...Visual Arts...Music...Communist China + Ch. 35 - Quest for Meaning: Existentialism...SB's Absurdist play - W for G | |
| F 11/17 | TXT: 884b-top895b: TSE's poem & DT's poem & RT's allegory & Islamic poetry...Visual Arts & Film at Mid-Century...J. Pollock...E. Hopper...Sculpture | |
| WEEK XIV | M 11/20 | TXT: mid895b-908b: Architecture - FLW...Music & Dance + Postmodern Turn (901) - Ch. 36 - Liberation & Equality: Latin America...Harlem Renaissance... |
| W 11/22 | THANKSGIVING | |
| F 11/24 | HOLIDAY | |
| WEEK XV | M 11/27 | TXT: bottom908b-top919b: Civil Rights Movement: MLK,Jr. & Malcolm X & RE & AW...Visual Arts & Film...Jazz & Dance |
| W 11/29 | TXT: 919b-929b: Quest for Gender Equality: Feminism in Lit: VW & SdeB & poets...Feminist Art... | |
| F 12/1 | TXT: 930-941a: Ch. 37 - Information Age I:...New Directions in Phil & Sci Theories...Postmodern Lit: poetry & fiction - social conscience: JCO *** For the FINAL exam, presentation of review-items with specified pages from TXT | |
| WEEK XVI | M 12/4 | TXT: bottom941a-top954b: Globalism & its challenges...Lit of Globalism...Ethnic identity: lit & arts... + Ch. 38 - Information Age II: Pop Art & Assemblage & Film |
| W 12/6 | TXT: 954b-top966a: varieties of Art: Geometric Abstraction...New Realism...Social Conscience Art & Film...Total Art...Video Art | |
| F 12/8 | TXT: 966a-978b: Computers & Visual Arts & Film...Architecture...Music...Dance | |
| WEEK XVII | M 12/11 | RETROSPECTIVE of WEEKS IX-XVI for review-purposes + comments on exam-format |
| W 12/13 | STUDY DAY | |
| F 12/15 | First Exam Day | |
| WEEK XVIII | M 12/18
W 12/20 |
FINAL EXAM for 9:00 a.m. class @ 9:00-11:00 a.m.
FINAL EXAM for 1:30 p.m. class @ 3-5 p.m. |
I wish you the best in all the MSU-M activities, curricular and extra-c, that you undertake this autumn. May they all lead to a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007!!!!!!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Please take note: Since I consider our course to be, in a sense, an evolving entity - a growing as well as growth experience, I may at times, but announced in advance, introduce changes of one kind or another into our Syllabus, as we proceed through the semester. Such modifications or emendations might include higher points-potentials for the 2 exams; possibly skipping a few pages here or there to catch-up, if need be, with our Syllabus; ... - all intended to make our course more student-friendly.
And a Reminder: At the close of each chapter Prof. Fiero provides a Summary for your own self-review.
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MONDAY 9/25/06 - As I explained to the 9 o'clock class this morning, and will explain to the 1:30 class later today, I will be in Denver this Friday 9/29 attending an academic Conference (at which I'll present a paper on Saturday - the subject is an American photographer whom I'll present to you all later when we get to the post-Civil War era = 1870s-80s), and so, I expect you, my dear and devoted students of both sections of HUM 215, to attend class and conduct a communal discussion of the ARTworks found between pages 650 and 662 in our text = NEOCLASSICISM in painting, sculpture, and architecture. I will ask, on Wednesday, for 1 student in each class to volunteer to be a Moderator. To moderate what exactly? Your group-purpose will be to examine, through personal observations and reflections, how these artworks display 18th-century Neoclassical ideals/values/ themes/issues. Each of you will choose ONE artwork that you are drawn to (= intrigues you/interests you) and 1) explain why you made that choice AND 2) explain how that particular artwork fulfills the Neoclassical goal of "captur[ing] the nobility and dignity of the Greco-Roman past" (G.F. - 651a). And, since you all know each other BY NAME, the class-discussion should really become a class-conversation among friends. ... I am ADDING THIS to what I said in class this a.m.: I require that each student type up either an outline (with clearing phrasing) or a brief paragraph (in complete sentences) of what he or she says in that class, identifying, of course, the specific artwork chosen. And I will ask the Moderator to collect them and drop them off in my mailbox (Philosophy Dept). And when I return for class on Monday10/2, I'll do catch-up for pages 662-667 on 18th-century Music, with a few words about "Papa Haydn" but emphasizing "the Genius of Mozart" by presenting at least one extract from the acclaimed film AMADEUS, mentioned in a footnote by G.F. on p.666a, and after that, we will follow our Syllabus beginning to cover pages 671-685: The Romantic View of Nature in Poetry and Painting, which will bring us into the 19th century. Thank you for your cooperation.